SMYRNA, Ga. – It’s the journey, not the destination may not be quite the case this summer, especially considering that airfares are likely to rise this summer.

Travelers, though, should find solace in that fact that hotel rates appear to be holding the key to a good value this summer.

“Demand is back, and rooms can be found for a great value,” Dorothy Dowling, Best Western’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, said at the Annual Leisure Travel Summit. “Travelers have an advantage, but it won’t last long. Those looking to vacation in a premium destination such as New York, Orlando or any national park need to research and make a commitment now to actually get a room.”

A new TripAdvisor survey indicates 62 percent of travelers are planning to head to a new destination while 44 percent had both and old and a new destination in mind. The survey also revealed that 80 percent of those traveling plan to take at least seven days of travel this summer.

“While demand for hotels this summer will be brisk and will continue to provide positive recovery momentum, rate growth remains a concern,” Brad Garner, vice president of Smith Travel Research (STR), said in a release posted to Hotel News Now.com. “Conditioned and value conscious consumers will not be reaching as deep into their wallets as in previous summer seasons. We anticipate flat to slightly negative rate growth this summer.”

Todd DeFeo loves to travel anywhere, anytime, taking pictures and notes. An award-winning reporter, Todd revels in the experience and the fact that every place has a story to tell. He is owner of The DeFeo Groupe and also edits Express Telegraph and Railfanning.org.